The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) has a new position on the death penalty. The resolution, passed by the Board of Directors, outlines serious concerns with the death penalty and acknowledges growing opposition and differing views on the issue among Evangelicals.
The resolution represents a significant shift for the organization, which had a position in staunch support of the death penalty for the last four decades. The resolution gives guidance to the NAE’s more than 45,000 congregations from nearly 40 different denominations, serving millions of Americans:
“Because of the fallibility of human systems, documented wrongful convictions, and our desire that God’s grace, Christian hope, and life in Christ be advanced, a growing number of evangelicals now call for government entities to shift their resources away from pursuing the death penalty…”
EJUSA Director of Evangelical Outreach Heather Beaudoin has been meeting with Evangelical leaders across the country for the past several years. Last year she gave a presentation on the death penalty to the NAE Board of Directors. “I am overjoyed that the NAE has taken so much leadership in fostering this dialog,” she said.
“Clearly we are seeing growing concerns among the NAE leadership about problems with the death penalty,” Heather continued. “These concerns mirror what I have been hearing when I talk to Christians across the country. More of them are questioning their support for the death penalty as they learn about its mistakes and bias.”
